As Southeast Asia’s leading protein producer and the only country in the region that exports more protein than it imports, Thailand has the experience and expertise to become a global hub of sustainable proteins.
The benefits will be enormous if the country realizes its potential and replaces half of its meat and seafood production with plant-based proteins by 2050: it could create more than a million additional jobs, add billions of dollars of economic value to its economy, and cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by millions of tons per year.
These statements are from a new report — “Kitchen of the Future” — commissioned by Madre Brava, a US environmental group raising awareness about the impacts of animal agriculture on the planet, and produced by Asia Research and Engagement (ARE).
“This report shows that bringing back plants to our hugely important protein sector is a win-win-win for Thailand”
Wichayapat Piromsan, Madre Brava’s Thailand Director, said: “This report shows that bringing back plants to our hugely important protein sector is a win-win-win for Thailand: it’s good for jobs, it’s good for our economy, and it’s good for the planet.”
Immense economic & environmental impact
The study’s authors modeled the economic, climate, and land impacts under three scenarios to quantify the benefits of protein diversification: business as usual (BAU), 30% meat and seafood replacement by 2050, and 50% replacement by 2050.
The findings show that transitioning half of meat and seafood production to plant-based proteins by 2050 could have a huge economic impact. This shift could create approximately 1.15 million new jobs and add approximately THB 1.3 trillion (USD 36.8 billion) to the economy by reducing dependency on imported raw materials and promoting self-sufficiency. According to the report, Thailand’s top food exports are chicken, shrimp, and tuna, but more than 60% of the raw materials for animal feed (maize, wheat, and soybeans) are imported.
“Thailand is increasingly seeing the devastating consequences of climate change”
The environmental impact would also be huge. A 50% shift could help Thailand reduce its CO2 emissions by 35.5 million metric tons per year — the equivalent of removing 8.45 million cars from the road in the US. Reducing emissions would keep Thailand within the climate safety limits recommended by experts, making the protein sector more climate-friendly, says the report.
Moreover, the report found that switching 50% of protein production to plant-based protein could spare up to 2.17 million hectares of land in 2050 compared to the business-as-usual scenario, an area equivalent to the province of Nakhon Ratchasima.
In contrast, a 30% plant-based diversification by 2050 would require 1.30 million hectares less land than a BAU scenario in 2050, but it would still necessitate an additional 576 thousand hectares compared to 2020. With its associated deforestation, land use is one of the biggest threats to biodiversity, especially on islands and specific locations around the tropics.
Wichayapat added: “Thailand is increasingly seeing the devastating consequences of climate change, consequences which will only intensify in the coming years. Our country has a chance not only to make a strong bid to become the world’s kitchen for years to come, but to massively reduce the impact of our valuable protein sector on the climate.”
Making Thailand a plant powerhouse
The report, which will be released at the COP 29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan (November 11-22), highlights a series of recommendations for policymakers and food industry leaders to “kickstart protein diversification and potentially create ripple effects throughout the region.”
- The Kitchen of the Future project suggests:
Implementing policies to equalize plant and animal protein production. - Supporting a just transition with financial aid and programs to assist farmers in shifting to plant-based crop production.
- Encouraging supermarkets to set targets for sustainable protein sales, increase plant-based offerings, and improve their display.
- Investing in R&D by food manufacturers to enhance the taste, nutrition, and affordability of alternative proteins.
- Food service companies should increase and prominently display plant-based menu options at competitive prices with ‘regular’ menu items.
The Thai government has taken several actions to produce more plant proteins, leveraging the country’s infrastructure and expertise in food production. Among them, Thailand’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO) unveiled a roadmap to transform the country into a world producer of high-protein plant-based ingredients, wheat, sorghum, barley, and corn, this September.
Wichayapat said: “There are clear levers to pull here to ensure Thailand makes the most of this opportunity, but it needs to happen now. Otherwise, we risk getting left behind by the coming global shift in protein production.”
You can download the full report here.
